The Lost Princess & The Lonely Dragon
by Lucy.n
Summary: Lets try this again
1. Chapter 1

In the Kingdom of Fiore there is one girl that stands out unique unlike any other girl in the land. Eyes twinkling with a sense of curiosity, hair shimmered like gold in the sun, her beauty and her smile was known throughout the land. What many did not know what was in her heart the longing for an adventure. Her name Lucy Heartfillia, bound by the ties of her father the king, and betrothed to a man she did not love.

Lucy pleaded with her father for weeks to call the marriage off, however all he had in mind was an heir to the throne and more power. Even if it meant giving his daughter to an isolated kingdom.

The Princess was devastated she did not know what else to do. Lucy locked herself in her room thinking of a plan she packed her valuables, jewelry she could sell, what money she had saved, and a locket with a picture of her dear mother. Then after putting on the plainest dress she could find she snuck out, slowly slipping past the guards and climbed the wall once on the other side she looked into the dark and wicked forrest and ran.

Lucy ran as far as she could barely stopping to rest until the castle was out of sight, only then did she stop to rest and continue walking into the unknown.

It had been days and Lucy was feeling pains in her stomach from hunger and the irritating ace in her head in need of water. Just when she was about to pass out she comes upon a cave slowly Lucy entered in, a loud roar echoed through the walls, massive vibrations rumbled through the ground.

"Who's there!? Why have you come into my cave!?" shouted a deathly voice from deep inside.

Lucy was frightened, but regardless of her opponent without regard for her life she bravely walked into the shadowy cave toward the voice, and shouted "I am Lucy!"

"Stay back! Stay where you are!" The voice is clearer and closer, "Answer me why are you here!?"

"Why should I stay back, why should I answer? You have yet to reveal yourself to me, I don't even know your name, I told you mine." her silvery voice echoed calmly.

"Natsu, my name is Natsu." His disembodied voice WAs even closer to her, and it sounded even kinder than before. "Look this is my cave, I don't know what you're doing here but please leave now or you'll regret it"

Lucy felt in her heart that this person wouldn't harm her, exhausted all she wanted was a place to stay, but knew she had to reason with Natsu in order to maybe stay and get something to eat. "If you show me who you are I will explain how I got here."

"Fine, hope you know what you're doing."

Lucy heard and felt strong gusts of wind coming from the inside of the cave, nearly knocking her to her knees she blocked most of the wind with her arms protecting her face. After a loud thud onto the ground and the air calming she looked up to a ginormous fiery red dragon with piercing yellow eyes and scars covering various parts of looks straight at him without fear.

"You didn't run. Why?" Natsu looks at Lucy bewildered.

"Why would I? I'm not scared really I'm more fascinated than I am scared."

Natsu is completely confused by this weird girl that walked into his cave, yet he feels relieved she's not like any other person he has ever met.

"Well you passed my test."

"Test what test?" Lucy was now the one confused

"You're the only one to have aced it, the only one to see this form of me, to not run, to not be afraid of me." He answers as he transformed into a pink haired boy.

"Hi. So how'd you end up in my cave?" Natsu asks with a grin.

"I uh… just got lost" Lucy can't tell him who she is it could mean trouble for them both. Even though she hates lying part of it is true she has very little clue as to where this place is.

"Oh! I could help you find your way home if you like?"

"No that's alright I don't really wish to go back there."

Natsu is just confused by this strange girl, but in his heart he feels a pang like longing, he gets the feeling that this girl is important to him and wants to find out why.

"Well you can tell me why you don't want to go back on your own time, if you want you can stay here." He suggests this with a cheery smile.

"Why? Why would you let me stay? We literally just met.?"

"I don't know, it's just somethings telling me that I should help you."


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy looks around the deep cavern, as she goes farther in she finds a mess of a home. Clothes and trash everywhere, a broken bookcase where books are splayed about. She comes upon an area with three beds one fit for a huge dragon even bigger than Natsu's, one that was a normal person size and one that seemed like it was for a pet. Being the curious person she is Lucy asked Natsu, "Does anyone else live with you?"

"Yes of course there's my friend Happy that lives with me, he's actually out fishing. My dad did live with us but well… he disappeared. I don't know where he went or any idea where he could be. He's been missing for awhile now." The first happy expression on Natsu's face faded when he talked about his dad.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you." Lucy felt a pang in her heart sympathising with him with her own loss, then had an idea.

"If your father is just missing then why don't I help you find him?" She spoke wearily not wanting to upset him more, but wanting to help him.

"I've looked everywhere there's no way you'd be able to find him." his voice was soft even though he was trying one could still hear the pain in him.

"Hey I'm smarter than I look and I can be very resourceful. I'm sure there's a clue in here as to why your dad disappeared. I can help you look tomorrow if you like." Lucy has confidence in herself, and speaks to Natsu with hope in her eyes. He looks into her eyes and sees that hope thinking that maybe there's a chance.

"Ok, maybe you're right. Wait why tomorrow today hasn't even come close to finishing yet?"

"Well have you seen this place Nastu it's a mess! Sorry No offence, you are letting me stay here after all. However it would be easier to find clues if we clean up a bit."

Natsu looks around the cave and turns to Lucy with a confused look in his eye, bringing his arm up around to scratch his head, he tells her, "Alright, but this looks fine to me."

"What do you mean fine?! There are trash, food, clothes, and books all over the place." Lucy says on the edge of laughter. Natsu can already tell she's gonna be pretty bossy.

"Alright alright alright we'll clean today."

The two begin organizing the cave, Lucy fixes and starts placing Natsu's clothes back into a dresser, while natsu picks up trash and cleans up old food. When Lucy finished with the clothes she moved on to the broken bookcase and scattered literature on the floor. Looking around for tools and after she finds them mends the bookcase and places the pieces of work where they belong, off the ground. Lucy loved reading all the stories that could take her away from her life, and all of these books are in such great condition. Then Lucy spotted it, Fairy Tail, her favorite story.

"I can't believe you have this book! I love it!" Lucy exclaimed with excitement.

Natsu peeks his head over. "Which one are you talking about?" then sees the red cover in her hand, "Oh… That one me and my pops used to read that one together almost every night." His cheery grin was back on his face remembering those happy moments.

"Really?! My mom used to read this to me too!" she says with delight at the fact they have something like this in common.

"It's amazing isn't it? at how a book can bring together a family." Lucy goes to place the book on the shelf when a folded piece of paper falls out from it.

Immediately Natsu catches it before it even comes near the ground and opens it. "Luce it's a map..." She takes and hold it, "...do you understand it I can't. Where does it go to?"

"Hold on… I can read it. I can't be too sure it's in Royal Key, I know it but not well, it's like a code, I need some time to find out everything on the map." Lucy ponders at the strange map trying to think of how would Natsu's father would know Royal Key.

"Hey Luce how do you know royal key?" Lucy goes wide eyed for a moment.

"Well… my mom taught me a long time ago from a book somewhere." She hoped he wouldn't ask any more about it.

"Ok cool. I guess we got lucky that you know it." Natsu laughs happily.

It takes Lucy until nightfall to completely decipher the map its hidden clues, and making notes of the best stops and estimating the amount of time the journey would take. "Alright I've finished, the route itself is pretty long could take us almost a month if we walk."

"Well we've got to get going then." Natsu gets up excitedly.

"But…" Lucy Hesitates

"But what?" Nastsu walks up to her worried.

"But I've never done anything like this before. Based on this map this journey is very dangerous, and so many things could go wrong, things that not you or I could predict. What if.." she stops talking when a warm hand covers her mouth.

Natsu looks into her eyes, moves away his hand and tries to reassure her. "Luce remember I am part dragon, so don't worry I'll protect you. Also don't forget that you are smart and resourceful, you translated that map, I am sure there are many more things that you are capable of that you have yet to show."

Natsu backs away extending his arm to her, "Come on, let's have an adventure."

Lucy looks at his hand then back to him her cheeks flush and she reaches for him, regaining her composure shakes her head, "Alright let's do this"


End file.
